Trip Planner & Travel Budget
Budget in any currency, how much to save each paycheck, a day-by-day itinerary, bookings and packing in one Google Sheet.
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1. Before you book anything: the UK ETA
If you're visiting from the US, Canada, Australia or most other countries that don't need a visa, every person in your group needs a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before you travel. That includes babies and children. British and Irish citizens don't need one.
- It costs £20 per person, so a family of four pays £80.
- The UK government says to apply at least 3 working days before you travel. We'd do it as soon as the flights are booked.
- Apply only on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. Third-party sites charge extra for the same form.
Check passports at the same time. US passports for children under 16 are only valid for 5 years, so compare expiry dates with your return date now. If one parent is traveling alone with the kids, or your surnames differ, carry something that shows your relationship, like a birth certificate or a consent letter from the other parent.
2. When to go
Wales is mild and can be wet in any month, and the mountains of Eryri make their own weather. Late May, June and September are our pick with kids: long days, warmer sea for paddling, and fewer people than in the school summer holidays in July and August. Winter is quiet and cheap, but days are short and some attractions close or cut their hours.
| Month | Daylight in Cardiff | Daylight in Caernarfon |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8h 20m | 8h 05m |
| April | 13h 50m | 14h 00m |
| June | 16h 35m | 16h 55m |
| August | 14h 35m | 14h 45m |
| October | 10h 40m | 10h 35m |
| December | 7h 50m | 7h 35m |
Sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month, calculated for Cardiff and Caernarfon and rounded to 5 minutes.
3. Where to go: the four big areas
- Eryri (Snowdonia): mountains, lakes and waterfalls in the north-west, around Betws-y-Coed and Llanberis. Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is the highest mountain in Wales, and the Snowdon Mountain Railway takes you to the top from Llanberis if little legs won't make the hike.
- The castles of north Wales: Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris were built for Edward I and together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They're run by Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service, and kids love the walls and towers.
- Pembrokeshire: the coast national park in the south-west, with sandy beaches, rock pools, boat trips and the coast path. Tenby is a good family base, with St Davids a short drive away.
- Cardiff: an easy first or last stop, with Cardiff Castle in the city centre and St Fagans National Museum of History (free entry, with old buildings from across Wales rebuilt in parkland) just outside it.
4. Driving in Wales: 20 mph and real drive times
A car is the easiest way to see Wales with kids. You drive on the left, road signs are in Welsh and English, and many country lanes are narrow with high hedges. One thing catches visitors out: since 17 September 2023, the default speed limit on most roads in towns and villages is 20 mph. Some main roads stay at 30, so watch the signs. These are mapped times with no stops, plus a "realistic" column with 40% added for slow lanes, tractors and toilet stops.
| Drive | Miles | Mapped time | Realistic (+40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London → Cardiff | 150 | 3h 07m | 4h 22m |
| Heathrow Airport → Cardiff | 137 | 2h 38m | 3h 41m |
| Cardiff → Brecon | 42 | 1h 01m | 1h 25m |
| Cardiff → Tenby | 94 | 1h 57m | 2h 44m |
| Tenby → St Davids | 35 | 0h 58m | 1h 21m |
| Tenby → Brecon | 75 | 1h 48m | 2h 31m |
| St Davids → Aberystwyth | 76 | 1h 55m | 2h 41m |
| Aberystwyth → Betws-y-Coed | 68 | 1h 46m | 2h 28m |
| Betws-y-Coed → Llanberis | 16 | 0h 28m | 0h 39m |
| Llanberis → Caernarfon | 8 | 0h 17m | 0h 24m |
| Caernarfon → Conwy | 24 | 0h 34m | 0h 48m |
| Conwy → Manchester Airport | 79 | 1h 47m | 2h 30m |
Mapped times: OpenStreetMap road data via the OSRM router, by car, looked up October 2026.
Children need a car seat until they're 12 or 135 cm tall. Automatics are less common than manuals in the UK, so book early and request the seats when you reserve. Flying into London? Heathrow to Cardiff is under three hours' mapped drive, and Manchester Airport is the closest big airport to Eryri and the north Wales castles.
Planning to use your credit card's rental car cover? It generally works in Wales (Visa's standard benefit excludes only Northern Ireland within the UK, and Amex's standard cover excludes Australia, Italy and New Zealand), but it's often secondary and you must decline the rental desk's collision damage waiver, so check your card's guide and carry proof of cover. Comparison sites like Discover Cars show what's available in Cardiff and at the airports.
5. Two sample routes
7 nights: Cardiff, Pembrokeshire and the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog)
Cardiff (2 nights: the castle and St Fagans) → Tenby (3 nights: beaches, boat trips and a day out to St Davids) → Brecon (2 nights: waterfalls and easy walks in the Brecon Beacons) → back to Cardiff or on to Heathrow. All the drives are under two hours' mapped time.
10 nights: the whole country, south to north
Cardiff (2) → Tenby (3) → Aberystwyth (1, to break up the drive up the coast) → Betws-y-Coed or Llanberis in Eryri (2: the Snowdon railway and the lakes) → Conwy (2: Conwy and Caernarfon castles, and a day trip to Beaumaris on Anglesey) → fly home from Manchester. The St Davids to Aberystwyth and Aberystwyth to Eryri days are the longest, so plan a stop on each.
Short on time and based in London? Guided day trips from London to north Wales, including Caernarfon and Eryri, are on Klook, and guided tours around Wales are listed on GetYourGuide. Check how long the day really is before booking with young kids.
6. What things cost (and the Cadw pass)
Flights, rooms and the car will be most of your budget, and they depend so much on dates that we won't guess at them. Get real quotes. Some fixed costs worth knowing:
- Cadw Explorer Pass: entry to dozens of Cadw sites, including Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris. From 1 April 2026 the family pass (two adults and up to three children or grandchildren under 18) is £67.20 for any 3 days within 7, or £78.50 for any 7 days within 14. Single adult passes are £28 and £42. You buy it at Cadw sites.
- Caernarfon Castle on its own: £14.90 per adult (1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027), so the pass pays off fast if you're doing several castles.
- Cardiff Castle (run by the city, not Cadw, so not on the pass): £16.50 per adult, £11 per child aged 5 to 16, and £44 for a family ticket of 2 adults and 2 children. Under-5s are free.
- Snowdon Mountain Railway: for 2026, a summit return on the traditional diesel train is £45 off-peak or £48 peak for adults, and £35 or £38 for children aged 3 to 15. The heritage steam train costs more.
- St Fagans National Museum of History: free entry, with a parking charge.
- Visitor levy: nothing yet. From 1 April 2027 Welsh councils can add £1.30 per person per night (75p in campsites and hostel-style shared rooms). Cardiff has approved it. Pembrokeshire has ruled it out until at least its 2027 elections.
- UK ETA: £20 per person (fixed fee).
- Phone data: check your plan's roaming charges, or use a travel eSIM such as Airalo's UK eSIM. Signal is patchy in the mountains, so download offline maps too.
- Things to do in Cardiff: Tiqets lists Cardiff-area attractions if you want to book ahead.
Estimate To get your own number, plug real quotes into the free travel budget calculator (it also tells you what to save per paycheck), and use the daily budget calculator for spending money per day in pounds and dollars.
7. Packing for Wales
- Waterproof jackets and layers for everyone, even in summer. It's colder and windier at the top of Yr Wyddfa than in Llanberis.
- Proper shoes: walking shoes or boots for paths and castle steps, plus water shoes or old trainers for rock pools.
- Swimsuits and a towel in the car for Pembrokeshire beaches. The sea is cold, so a wetsuit helps if kids want to stay in.
- Plug adapters: the UK uses the three-pin plug (type G).
Kids' clothes for Wales
Wales is wet and windy, and the mountains in Eryri are colder than the valleys. Add water shoes or old trainers for rock pools, and a second swimsuit and towel if you're heading to Pembrokeshire beaches (a wetsuit helps, as the sea is cold). Counts are per child. The two-week column assumes one load of laundry halfway (most self-catering places have a washer, and quick-dry things dry on a radiator overnight).
| Clothes | Weekend | 1 week | 2 weeks | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tops | 3 | 5 | 6 | T-shirts or long-sleeve tops; quick-dry or merino beats cotton |
| Trousers or leggings | 2 | 3 | 4 | leggings and joggers dry faster than jeans |
| Base layers | 1 set | 2 sets | 2 sets | thermal top and leggings, for cold days, evenings and hill walks |
| Fleece or warm mid layer | 1 | 1 | 2 | the thing they'll wear every day under the jacket |
| Waterproof jacket with a hood | 1 | 1 | 1 | a real waterproof, not a showerproof windbreaker |
| Rain trousers or a puddle suit | 1 | 1 | 1 | a puddle suit (all-in-one) for toddlers; over-trousers for older kids |
| Warm hat | 1 | 1 | 1 | plus gloves or mittens from October to April |
| Sun hat | 1 | 1 | 1 | yes, really: summer days are long, and a cool breeze hides how strong the sun is |
| Pyjamas | 1 | 2 | 2 | one warm pair: old houses and B&Bs can be chilly at night |
| Socks | 4 | 8 | 8 | wool or merino; one spare pair a day, because feet get wet |
| Underwear | 4 | 8 | 8 | a couple of extra pairs for little ones |
| Waterproof shoes or wellies | 1 pair | 1 pair | 1 pair | wellies for small kids, waterproof walking shoes for older ones |
| Comfy trainers | 1 pair | 1 pair | 1 pair | for travel days, cities and when the wellies are soaked |
| Swimwear | 1 | 1 | 2 | hotel and leisure-centre pools are a lifesaver on a wet afternoon |
| A nicer outfit | 1 | 1 | 1 | for a special dinner, afternoon tea or family photos |
| Spare outfit in the carry-on | 1 | 1 | 1 | a full change per child (two for under-3s), in case the checked bag goes missing or someone spills |
Extra for babies and toddlers
- A sleep sack (or two for a baby, in case of leaks). Rooms vary a lot, so check the tog guide on the label against the room temperature.
- Extra changes: plan on two outfits a day for a baby and one spare a day for a toddler, plus extra vests or bodysuits.
- Bibs: two or three a day, or a few wipe-clean ones you can rinse in the sink.
- A warm all-in-one or fleece suit for the stroller or carrier on cold, windy days, and a puddle suit once they're walking.
Pack each child's clothes in their own packing cube, with travel-day clothes and the spare outfit on top.
8. Tips for Wales with kids
- Castles are the stars. Let kids climb the towers and walk the walls, but hold small hands on the battlements and spiral stairs.
- Check the summit forecast before the Snowdon railway or any mountain walk, and have a plan B (a waterfall walk or a castle) for cloudy days.
- Learn a few Welsh words. You'll see them on every sign: croeso (welcome), diolch (thank you), araf (slow).
- Base yourself for two nights or more so there are days when you don't pack the car.
- Jet lag: Wales is usually 5 hours ahead of US Eastern time. Get outside in daylight on day one and keep the first day light.
9. What to book when
- 6 to 9 months out: summer rooms and cottages in Tenby, Pembrokeshire and Eryri. Check Booking.com or local cottage sites.
- 4 to 6 months out: flights and the rental car (especially an automatic).
- 1 to 2 months out: Snowdon Mountain Railway tickets for summer, boat trips and any tours.
- Once flights are booked: the ETA for everyone, a passport check, and travel insurance.
- The week before: offline maps, the eSIM installed, and your card's proof of rental car cover.
Plan it in one sheet
The Trip Planner & Travel Budget handles costs in pounds and dollars and works out what to save each paycheck. The Family Travel with Kids Planner checks passports against your return date and has a jet-lag plan and packing lists by age.
Family Travel with Kids Planner
Passport expiry checker, a gentle jet-lag plan, packing by age, day pacing and an emergency info page.
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Free: kids travel packing checklist
Three printable pages: what to pack by age (baby, toddler, school-age), kids' clothes with counts for a weekend, 1 week or 2 weeks, and a plane & car bag list for travel day.
Questions
Do US citizens need anything to visit Wales?
Yes: a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), because Wales is part of the UK. It costs £20 per person, every traveler needs their own, babies and children included, and the UK government says to apply at least 3 working days before you travel. Apply on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app.
Is the speed limit really 20 mph in Wales?
On most roads in towns and villages, yes. Since 17 September 2023 the default limit on 'restricted roads' (usually streets with street lights) has been 20 mph. Some main roads stay at 30 mph, so follow the signs, and if there's no sign on a lit street, assume 20.
Is the Cadw Explorer Pass worth it?
If you'll visit three or more Cadw castles, usually yes. From 1 April 2026 the family pass (two adults and up to three children or grandchildren under 18) is £67.20 for 3 days of use within 7, or £78.50 for 7 days within 14. Caernarfon Castle alone is £14.90 per adult, for comparison.
Can kids get up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) without the hike?
Yes, on the Snowdon Mountain Railway from Llanberis. For 2026, a return to the summit on the traditional diesel train is £45 off-peak or £48 peak for adults and £35 or £38 for children aged 3 to 15. Book ahead in summer, and know that bad weather can stop trains short of the summit.
Is there a tourist tax in Wales?
Not yet. Welsh councils can charge a visitor levy on overnight stays from 1 April 2027: £1.30 per person per night in most accommodation, or 75p in campsites and hostel-style shared rooms. Cardiff has approved one. Other councils decide for themselves, and Pembrokeshire has ruled it out until at least its 2027 elections.
Do kids need car seats in Wales?
Yes. UK law says children must use a car seat until they're 12 years old or 135 cm tall, whichever comes first. Request seats when you book the car, or bring your own.
Sources
- UK ETA: who needs one, £20 fee, apply 3 working days ahead (GOV.UK)
- Default 20 mph speed limits (Welsh Government)
- 20 mph: frequently asked questions (Welsh Government)
- Cadw Explorer Pass prices from 1 April 2026 (Cadw)
- Castell Caernarfon prices (Cadw)
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (UNESCO)
- Cardiff Castle admission rates (Cardiff Castle)
- Snowdon Mountain Railway 2026 fares (Snowdon Mountain Railway)
- St Fagans National Museum of History: free entry, parking (Museum Wales)
- Cardiff visitor levy from April 2027: £1.30 and 75p rates (Cardiff Council)
- Pembrokeshire rules out a visitor levy for now (Pembrokeshire Herald)
- Child car seat rules: until 12 years or 135 cm (GOV.UK)
- Visa Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver terms: country exclusions (Visa)
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: country exclusions, secondary cover (American Express)
- US passports for children under 16 (U.S. Department of State)
- Drive distances and times: OpenStreetMap data via OSRM
Prices, rules and card benefits change. Check the official pages and your own card's guide to benefits before you book. Last checked 22 October 2026.